Barcelona Raih Juara Liga Spanyol, Pertama bagi Villanova
Barcelona Crowned Primera Division Champions, First Trophy for Villanova
Editor : Heru S Winarno
Translator : Parulian Manalu
 b.jpg)
BARCELONA merebut gelar juara Divisi Primera Minggu malam setelah penantang terdekatnya, Real Madrid gagal mengalahkan Espanyol di Estadi Cornella-El Prat.
Madrid membutuhkan kemenangan di kandang lawan sekota Barca, untuk mencegah skuad Tito Vilanova itu meraih gelar juara, tapi Madrid ditahan imbang 1-1.
Hasilnya, Barca unggul tujuh poin di puncak klasemen menjelang perjalanan mereka ke Atletico Madrid besok, dengan tim asuhan Jose Mourinho kini hanya memiliki sisa dua pertandingan di musim ini, seperti dilansir Mail Online.
Ini adalah keempat kalinya dalam lima tahun terakhir bahwa Barca dimahkotai juara Spanyol dan 22 kalinya dalam sejarah mereka - 10 gelar di belakang rival utama, Madrid.
Sekaligus trofi pertama Barca di bawah asuhan Vilanova, setelah kalah dari Madrid di Supercopa Spanyol di awal musim ini dan kalah di semifinal di Liga Champions dan Copa del Rey bagi Bayern Munich dan Madrid.
Vilanova, yang pekan ini kembali ke New York untuk tindak lanjut tes setelah menghabiskan dua bulan di Amerika awal tahun ini menjalani radioterapi dan kemoterapi pengobatan untuk kanker, dipromosikan dari asisten menjadi pelatih kepala setelah kepergian Pep Guardiola musim panas lalu.
Itu adalah kemenangan Madrid dengan peluang kemenangan yang cukup untuk menjaga perburuan gelar selama selama 24 jam.
Mengingat sisi Mourinho datang ke pertandingan dengan sembilan kemenangan dan sekali imbang dalam 10 pertandingan terakhir mereka, apa pun selain tiga poin untuk Real tampaknya mustahil.
Namun, mereka terputus-putus dan dari kecepatan di babak pertama yang didominasi oleh Espanyol, yang disayangkan hanya memiliki unggul satu gol dari striker Christian Stuani di menit 23.
Gol Hector Moreno dianulir saat Real tampaknya memiliki peluang berikutnya di final Copa del Rey, Jumat, melawan Atletico Madrid.
Namun, umpan Cristiano Ronaldo yang menjadi gol oleh Gonzalo Higuain di menit ke-58 untuk menyamakan kedudukan.
Espanyol dikurangi menjadi 10 pemain pada injury time ketika Victor Sanchez diberi kartu kuning kedua setelah melanggar Higuain namun tendangan bebas Ronaldo gagal mencetak gol.
Itu adalah kinerja babak kedua jauh lebih baik dari Madrid tapi itu tidak cukup dan Barcelona merebut kembali gelar tanpa bermain.
BARCELONA were crowned Primera Division champions tonight after nearest challengers Real Madrid failed to beat Espanyol at Estadi Cornella-El Prat.
Holders Madrid needed a victory at the home of Barca´s city rivals to prevent Tito Vilanova´s men from taking their title, but they were held to a 1-1 draw.
The result leaves Barca seven points clear at the summit ahead of their trip to Atletico Madrid tomorrow, with Jose Mourinho´s side now only having two league games left this season.
This is the fourth time in the last five years that Barca have been crowned Spanish champions and the 22nd time in their history - 10 behind arch rivals Madrid.
It is also the first trophy Barca have won under Vilanova, having lost to Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa at the start of the season and suffered semi-final defeats in the Champions League and Copa del Rey to Bayern Munich and Madrid, respectively.
Vilanova, who this week returned to New York for follow-up tests having spent two months in America earlier this year undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment for cancer, was promoted from assistant to head coach following Pep Guardiola´s departure last summer.
It was win or bust for Madrid with only a victory sufficient to keep the title race alive for 24 hours at least.
Given Mourinho´s side came into the match with nine wins and a draw in their last 10 games, anything other than three points for Real seemed unlikely.
However, they were disjointed and off the pace in the first half which was dominated by Espanyol, who were unfortunate to only have a one-goal lead courtesy of Christian Stuani´s 23rd-minute strike.
Hector Moreno incorrectly had a goal disallowed as Real appeared to have one eye on next Friday´s Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid.
However, the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo was followed moments later by Gonzalo Higuain´s 58th-minute equaliser.
Espanyol were reduced to 10 men in injury-time when Victor Sanchez was given his second yellow card after following through on Higuain but Ronaldo sent the resulting free-kick high and wide.
It was a much-improved second-half performance from Madrid but it was not enough and Barcelona wrested back the title without even playing.
